Evangel graduate Brittni Woods (gray shirt) works with the Convoy of Hope Agricultural Initiative. She helped lead a group of 14 EU students to Haiti in May.

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Education is a two-way street, Evangel science students learn in Haiti

August 18, 2014 | Brittni Woods

When we stepped into the church in Turpin on a mild May morning, 55 Haitian men and women were already seated on the narrow wooden benches, ready to learn. This particular Convoy of Hope training session was one of four that we conducted that week.

We had a group of 14 pre-med and science students from Evangel University with us.

Each of them had prepared to teach new farmers in our ongoing seed program on topics ranging from basic plant nutrition to pest control methods.

The agriculture program at Convoy of Hope provides many tangible resources to farmers in Haiti, but what I am most passionate about is that we are able to provide expertise in agriculture that has all but disappeared from the country.

When I look back on that week, I picture the eagerness in the eyes of the Haitian farmers as they drank in the information that we gave them about how to make their crops grow well, so that they can provide for their families.

I also saw the initial hesitancy on the faces of the university students as they stepped outside of their comfort zones and became the teachers, and then the way that their enthusiasm blossomed as the training progressed.

There is a special joy that comes from having the opportunity to teach something meaningful to others.As a recent college graduate and someone who loves learning, these feelings are all familiar to me.

Education is something people are willing to pay a great price for — whether it is taking out thousands of dollars in loans or making the lengthy journey on foot to get to a place of learning.

An education is something these 14 university students from Evangel now have in common with just over 3,400 farmers in the mountains of Haiti and beyond, through Convoy’s Agricultural Initiatives.

Education is a long-term investment that carries over from generation to generation, continuing to provide meals and lift people out of poverty for years to come.

Brittni Woods, a 2013 Evangel graduate with a major in Biological Chemistry and a minor in Intercultural Studies.

About Evangel

Evangel is an accredited, liberal arts university with more than 100 academic programs on the cutting edge of today's professional fields. Our commitment to the integration of faith, learning and life attracts students from a wide variety of Christian denominational backgrounds who have a strong commitment to academics with a desire to combine their Christian faith with every aspect of their lives.